SXSW Preview

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Bands to Watch at SXSW and in the Lou

We here at Playback St. Louis have scoured the South By Southwest music festival and St. Louis/ Columbia concert listings so you don’t have to. Here are some bands that’ll be passing through both cities, as well as our recommendations.

Blue October SXSW: La Zona Rosa, March 20, 10 p.m. STL: The Pageant, March 19

Fingers crossed: it appears Blue October’s time has—finally!—arrived. The San Marcos, Texas, quintet released its third album, History for Sale (Brando/Universal), last summer; what began as an indie release following their drop from Universal (Consent to Treatment, 2000) turned into a happy reunion, as Blue October was re-signed to Universal. The band will be prominently featured at this year’s Austin festival: with a 10 p.m. Saturday night slot, Blue October follows Liz Phair and precedes both Cracker and Camper van Beethoven. Singer/ songwriter Justin Furstenfeld writes heart-wrenchingly personal lyrics; his delivery ranges from a soothing murmur to an anguished howl. But the BLUE OCTOBER remaining bandmates are no slouches, lending intricate orchestrations (including the occasional aching violin) to complete the experience. You can catch their blend of beauty, noise, and angst when they hit the Pageant stage March 19 in support of Better Than Ezra. (LH)

British Sea Power SXSW: Rockstars, March 19, 10 p.m. STL: Mojo’s (Columbia), March 4

Pick up the debut LP (The Decline of British Sea Power) from this Brighton, England, quartet and listen to the first two songs. Both are fast, spastic, and nasty. Hit pause, and wait five minutes; come back, hit play, and listen. What the hell happened? What happened is the band that may not get the hype of Interpol, but whose British retro act has more sincerity than those hair stylists could ever muster. More Bowie and Bunnymen than Joy Division, BSP is swinging through Columbia on their way to SXSW before heading back across the pond. Therefore, get off your hinder and break it down to Tiger Country. I know you’ve got plenty of sick days left. (DL)

+/- SXSW: Friends, March 18, 11 p.m. STL: Mississippi Nights, March 27

Originally conceived as a side project, +/- has now released two albums and is touring in support of the latter. You Are Here (Teenbeat) is a beautiful, angst-filled CD, replete with catchy musical hooks, interesting sounds, timing shifts, and insinuating vocals. Formed by ex-Versus members James Baluyut and Patrick Ramos (each vocals/guitar/keyboard), +/- also includes Austin drummer Chris Deaner. There are elements of the Faint, New Order, and Death Cab for Cutie in You Are Here, yet +/- remains very much their own band. Expect the live show to deliver harder and louder interpretations of songs from the often-gentle record; in other words, bring your earplugs, and prepare to be amazed. (LH)

The Walkmen SXSW: Exodus, March 18, 12:00 a.m. STL: Mojo’s (Columbia), March 13

Rising from the ashes of the celebrated Jonathan Fire Eater in 2000, The Walkmen modify that fierce garage sound and deliver an eerily unique and diverse musical style. Three members remain from the original group, who gained acclaim and a Dreamworks contract through ferocious live performances. Former Recoys’ bassist Peter Bauer and singer Hamilton Leithauser joined the group and helped to craft their surprising rhythms, which effectively match his haunting vocal delivery. The Walkmen are currently touring behind their sophomore album, Bows and Arrows, released in February to very positive reviews. (DH)

The Wrens SXSW: Friends, March 18, 1 a.m. STL: Music Café (Columbia), March 15

In the mid-’90s, The Wrens were an underground sensation on the cusp of success. Collectively, brothers Kevin and Greg Whelan (bass/piano and guitar, respectively), Jerry Macdonald (drums), and Charles Bissell (guitar) released their second full-length, Secaucus, in 1996 to critical acclaim on Grass Records. Halfway into their first tour in support of the disc, they were pressured to sign a high-dollar contact and make music that is more radio-friendly; they declined, parting ways with the label. Legal complications ensued, and The Wrens nearly fell prey to the complications. Fast-forward to fall 2003, when the band re-emerged with The Meadowlands (Absolutely Kosher). Now, finally, the waiting world can hear the intelligent indie rock that is The Wrens. (LH)

Deathray Davies SXSW: Club de Ville, March 17, 11 p.m. STL: Gargoyle, March 18

Electrelane SXSW: Buffalo Billiards, March 18, 1 a.m. STL: Rocket Bar, March 22

The End SXSW: Emo’s Annex, March 18, 9 p.m. STL: Creepy Crawl, March 3

The Forty-Fives SXSW: Continental Club, March 18, 12 a.m. STL: Way Out Club, March 6

Michael Fracasso SXSW: Lounge, March 18, 1 a.m. STL: Off Broadway, March 31

Kill Hannah SXSW: Hard Rock Café, March 19, 9 p.m. STL: Mississippi Nights, March 2

The Killers SXSW: The Caucus, March 18, 8 p.m. STL: Gargoyle, April 17

Lawrence Arms SXSW: Elmo’s, March 19, 9 p.m. STL: Hi-Pointe, March 15

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists SXSW: The Blender Bar, March 18, 1 a.m. STL: Rocket Bar, March 22

Milton Mapes SXSW: Cedar St. Courtyard, March 19, 12 a.m. STL: Off Broadway, March 26

Ian Moore SXSW: 18th Floor, March 18, 10 p.m. STL: Off Broadway, March 26

Paris TX SXSW: Rockstars, March 18, 8 p.m. STL: Rocket Bar, March 22

Liz Phair SXSW: La Zona Rosa, March 20, 9 p.m. STL: The Pageant, March 16

Pretty Girls Make Graves SXSW: La Zona Rosa, March 18, 11 p.m. STL: Mojo’s (Columbia), April 5

stellastarr* SXSW: Red Eyed Fly, March 18, 9 p.m. STL: Gargoyle, April 17

Wheat SXSW: La Zona Rosa, March 20, 8 p.m. STL: The Pageant, March 16

March 2004

St. Louis Bands on the Road to Austin

Grand Ulena What does 2004 have in store for SXSW: Room 710, March 20, 10 p.m. Magnolia Summer? What about the other

We were unable to reach Grand Ulena for an Grabau projects? interview. We just finished recording a track for an Magnolia Summer We’re also going to record another record with SXSW: Club de Ville, March 17, 9 p.m. the hope to have it ready for an early 2005 Interview With: Chris Grabau release. We also have plans to continue to play

Is this your first time playing SXSW? out of town regionally in cities like Chicago,

Yes. Magnolia Summer has only been around Nashville, Omaha, and all points in between. for a little over a year. Our first record, Levers In addition, the other band I play in, Waterloo and Pulleys (Undertow), (led by Magnolia Summer member Mark Ray), was released nationally in MAGNOLIA SUMMER will release a new record titled October. This was the first In the Light of Day (Undertow) time we applied to SXSW. on April 6. We are planning a We are playing a couple number of local and regional of shows during SXSW: a shows. I’m very excited about showcase slot and a BBQ the record! The record was co-sponsored by the manproduced by Matt Pence and agement end of Undertow, features a number of guest musiMisra Records, and Harp cians, including Scott Danborn magazine. Should be a lot and Will Johnson from Centroof fun! We’re looking formatic, as well as Howard Draper ward to playing, catching from Little Grizzly. up with friends in other Which band member will bands, and eating a bunch be the first in line for Stubb’s of Mexican food. barbecue?

You guys are so Hmm, I’m not sure...is this involved in other projone of those Atkins fad diets I’ve ects; how do you find been hearing about?

time for Magnolia Summer? The Lyndsay Diaries

I think it’s one of the things that I’m most SXSW: Copper Tank, March 20, 11 p.m. excited about with Magnolia Summer. I feel Interview With: Scott Windsor quite lucky to have a band whose members are Is this your first time playing SXSW? not only great people but are versatile enough to Yes, this is my first time. I had to cancel last play in other bands. Having a band whose memyear due to van problems. bers are involved with a number of other projects How does it feel to play the biggest music is directly in line with the overall aesthetic of the festival in the country? band. At one time, we counted that the band I am definitely honored to be invited to the was collectively involved in 15 other projects! festival. It is, however, a different vibe than a norFor example, Aaron Zeveski is also the drummer mal show. It is more of an industry-based deal, a for Ring, Cicada. John Horton also plays guitar in little different than playing in front of the normal a number of bands, including the Bottle Rockets; fans. But it is as equally important. Mark Ray and I play in Waterloo, and violinist Besides LD, what else are you involved Jeremy leads an excellent band called Trief. with?

We always change and rework live shows, Lyndsay Diaries is pretty much my main focus especially when we play in St. Louis. We write in life right now. That and bowling. a lot, test new songs live, and rework arrangeWhat does 2004 have in store for The ments. Therefore, if a band member cannot make Lyndsay Diaries? a show because they are on tour with another band, we work around it. So far, we’ve played shows with as few as two members (Jeremy and I) and as many as seven people on the roster. The fluid lineup makes playing out a lot of fun and I hope more interesting for anyone who decides to come to one of our shows. After all, live shows shouldn’t be about rehashing your records. upcoming Chuck Berry tribute compilation.

THE LYNDSAY DIARIES’ SCOTT WINDSOR

I will be recording my third full-length in April. After that, I plan on touring until the end of the year.

Nadine SXSW: Roxy, March 20 Interview With: Adam Reichmann

Is this your first time playing SXSW?

This will actually be our fourth time going down there. St. Louis weather still sucks in March, and we’ll take any excuse to get south.

How does it feel to play the biggest U.S. festival?

It’s always exciting to play in front of people from all over. You never know who’s in the audience. Downside is that there are a lot of rock stars wandering around, and when they all stand side-by-side, it’s pretty pathetic. Lots of selfobsession.

What does 2004 have in store for Nadine?

Are you kidding? We’re still in recovery from 2003! Behind closed doors, we’re writing and experimenting and doing whatever we all do in our regular lives. I’m trying to get my liver sent back from Los Angeles. Live rock shows will continue...keeping the out-of-town thing cooking as much as possible. It’d be nice to get out of the country.

Which band member will be first in line for Stubbs’ barbeque?

Hmm. I’m going to say Anne because that gal’s got initiative...and a healthy appetite for shredded pork. Also, Jimmy, her chief competitor, will still be asleep.

NADINE

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NOW PLAYING TRUE/FALSE FILM FESTIVAL

PLAYBACK ST. LOUIS Nick Park’s Creature Comforts was featured as part of Real Britannia: British Animated Documentaries.

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True/False Columbia

True/False Film Festival Columbia, Missouri February 12–15

Columbia, Missouri, recently hosted the first annual True/False Documentary Film Festival. Featuring four days of documentaries and documentary-style films, the festival crammed dozens of films, parties, and workshops into one long weekend.

Conceived by the owners and programmers of Columbia’s Ragtag Cinemacafe, Paul Sturtz and David Wilson, T/F highlighted documentary work on the cutting edge. Sturtz and Wilson decided to focus on docs because, as they said, “We like documentaries, and it is an exciting area.”

Programming through invitation only, the pair assembled a stunning lineup. Part of the focus and criteria for selections was the filmmakers’ willingness to attend the festival; as a result, most of the films had a representative present to discuss the work after each screening.

The films were screened at three locations around downtown Columbia. The 80-seat Ragtag Cinema, the 250-seat Blue Note, and the 1,200-seat Missouri Theatre are all within a few blocks of each other and are nestled among dozens of shops and restaurants, providing easy access to food and diversion between screenings. Unfortunately, there was little time between screenings, and while speakers were scheduled with almost every film, the discussions were normally ended early to accommodate the next film.

In general, T/F was well put together, although a few problems did arise. Mainly from the lack of foresight in scheduling, films were piled on top of each other at each venue. This created several problems. First, exiting a venue became difficult as patrons awaiting the next film clogged the doorways. Second, the overlap of starting and ending times often locked a viewer into a single location for the day, as no cushion was provided for changing locations. There was no block programming; often a film started 10 or 15 minutes before films at the other locations ended.

There were other complaints, albeit minor: the chairs at the Blue Note became increasingly uncomfortable with each movie and they were often placed so close together, strangers tended to be pushed into each other’s laps. The Ragtag itself is set up wonderfully, but its lack of seating shut many interested viewers out of popular screenings.

Selling out of tickets is a good problem to have, and it was due to a schedule devoid of filler. The programmers put together such a wonderful list of films that a tiny venue just did not cut it. The program was spectacular; the top docs in the world were on display. Every piece had a buzz and most delivered. Ranging from gritty independents, to high-end productions, to local interest pieces, the festival delivered variety and a chance to submerse oneself in an oftenoverlooked genre.

I was lucky enough to take in four features and two shorts programs, but there were several compelling pieces I missed due my Friday night arrival or sold-out crowds.

The pieces with huge buzz that I was unable to see but will recommend searching out are Jandek on Corwood, Touching the Void, Before They Fall, Party Animals, and Surplus. These films made an impression on the crowds and most will be available locally, either in theaters or on video.

I started my festival experience with the shorts program Real Britannia. This program highlighted several pieces from the last five years of animated documentaries in the U.K. Animated docs combine created images from stop-action, computer generation, or traditional drawings over interviews, creating a whole new way to present factual footage. Spanning traditional linear storytelling to more impressionistic works, the docs did a wonderful job of creating a story.

The highlight of the program was Nick Park’s Creature Comforts. Park, best known for the Wallace and Grommit films and the feature Chicken Run, places the words of the public in the mouths of animals in the zoo and in the circus. It is wonderful and hilarious to hear the animals’ comments on the world. Tim Webb’s A Is for Autism uses innovative animation techniques to create a visual and aural representation of the mind of an autistic. Robert Bradbrook’s Home Road Movies uses some interesting animation to tell the story of a man and his car.

My fist feature was the Oscar-nominated The Fog of War. Errol Morris spent 2 years, 26 hours, and 3 editors painting a portrait of Robert S. McNamara, secretary of defense during much of the Vietnam War. The film, however,

Kim Bartley and Donna O’Brian’s The

Revolution Will Not Be Televised looks at the attempted coup in 2002 in Venezuela.

March 2004

Lars Ulrich hands out drum sticks after a show in the documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. PHOTO: Joe Biriger

was a major disappointment. The filmmakers could not decide if they were making a film about McNamara or about Vietnam. Still, there are some interesting points and moments. Revealing conversations between McNamara and Kennedy, and McNamara and Johnson, make it plain McNamara wanted out of Vietnam and was forced to continue a war he knew was unwinnable. McNamara has a few insights into the era and the war, but when asked the tough questions, he stonewalls Morris. He never takes the stand the filmmaker wants him to. The film itself is all over the place: never settling down to tell a story, but rather picking and choosing points Morris wants to make, and often repeating those points. Morris has an agenda and he rams it home, but he never creates a compelling argument or tells a compelling story.

I believe the anti-war stance of this movie coincided with strong anti-war sentiment in liberal America. Hollywood and the press account for a vocal portion of that liberal America, and instead of judging this film on its value as a documentary, it has been championed for its poorly presented message.

In juxtaposition, The Revolution Will not Be Televised indicts the current Bush administration, not by pushing a political agenda, but by telling the compelling story of Hugo Chavez. Two Irish filmmakers headed to Venezuela for a profile on President Hugo Chavez, a popular leader with ties to Castro; they found themselves in the midst of a coup. Chavez, who won in a landslide election, is deposed by leaders more sympathetic to the oil concerns of the United States. The filmmakers are present in the presidential palace during and immediately following the coup, and their cameras continue to roll. The footage is interspersed with Venezuelan television reports and U.S. political reaction. The result is a perfectly weaved tapestry of a political uprising in a fledgling democracy, U.S. foreign policy based on economic need, and the ability of the media to manipulate the truth.

While both The Fog of War and The Revolution Will not Be Televised are anti-war and carry messages currently in vogue in Hollywood, Revolution is tremendously compelling and a tight, well-made film. Luckily, it will be showing in St. Louis at the Tivoli on March 26.

Sunday also included another program of animated docs. This one was highlighted by Tom Schroeder’s Bike Ride, the Australian It’s Like That, and Grasshopper from Bob Sabiston, who animated Richard Linkletter’s Waking Life.

Sunday closed for me with the riveting C.S.A Confederate States of America. C.S.A. is not strictly a documentary, but is the kind of film

the programmers sought out. Director Kevin Willmott pushes the boundaries of the form. Shot in a Ken Burns style and containing many factual quotes, C.S.A. presents an alternate outcome to the Civil War, the basic premise being the South won the war and slavery still exists in the country. C.S.A. tells a compelling story while raising issues of racism and tolerance. The entire movie is designed to take the audience out of its comfort zone. Issues are never skirted, but met head on. The tension is often diffused with laughter, making the argument easier to swallow. There is an agenda, but the agenda is not to preach. The filmmakers are shining a light on a dark and often ignored part of America. The audience is left to draw conclusions, discuss issues, and examine society—and themselves— in this new light. The effect is an amazing piece of entertainment that happens to deal with big issues along the way.

The film also brought a local flavor to the festival, as it was filmed in and around Kansas City and Lawrence, Kansas. Both the director and producer were available for questions after the film. This film should show in St. Louis in the late summer or early fall in a limited release.

Finally, my favorite piece of the festival was the intriguing Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. Directors Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger spent over 180 days shooting more than 1,600 hours of footage of one of the world’s biggest rock bands. What makes the piece so spectacular is the amount of access the filmmakers had to the band during a period of redirection: they were actually allowed to shoot the band’s group therapy sessions. The band’s commitment to open access creates an unprecedented intimacy in nonfiction filmmaking. The most personal moments are played out before the cameras without regard to long-developed public personas. One of the most obvious examples of the disregard for pretense is the continuous use of raw musical recordings. Most bands are loathe to let any bit of music slip out unpolished; here, unmixed drum tracks, raw guitar jams, and vocal takes are all presented uncensored.

What began as a basic chronicle of the recording process for the album St. Anger became an in-depth character study and document of the healing process. This film could have easily devolved into some sort of Spinal Tap Goes to Therapy but it avoids clichés and shows the difficult melding of forceful personalities into a cohesive unit. The problems that arise during the recording process, James Hatfield’s stint in rehab and resulting life changes, the search for a new bassist, and general artistic differences are huge because the monetary stakes are so high, yet are at the same time so universally human.

Berlinger and Sinofsky were the recipients of the festival’s only award, the 2004 True Vision Award. Sinofsky attended the screening and was available for comments afterward. The film will be released this summer and should play in St. Louis.

Overall, I found the True/False Festival to be a rousing success. Not everything worked perfectly, but it ran smoother than many festivals in existence decades longer. I hope Sturtz and Wilson are able to sustain the quality of programming next year, and if they do, I hope they learn a lesson from this year and schedule repeat viewings of the hottest pieces. —Bobby Kirk, Film Editor, Playback St. Louis

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